Chaired by Senator Irfan Siddiqui, the Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training on Tuesday reviewed of Bills referred by the House, aimed at establishing new Higher Education Institutions across the country. Through extensive discussions and thoughtful deliberations, the committee reached a consensus, resulting in the approval of the majority of the Bills. Notable among the approved Bills are included “The Askari Institute of Higher Education Bill, 2023,” introduced by Senators Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani and Hidayatullah Khan. “The Metropolitan International Institute of Science and Technology Bill, 2023,” introduced by Senators Kauda Babar and Naseebullah Bazai. “The Rahim Jan University Bill, 2023,” introduced by Senators Syed Muhammad Sabir Shah and Naseebullah Bazai. “The Islamabad University of Communication and Emerging Sciences Bill, 2023,” introduced by Senator Mohammad Abdul Qadir. “The Kalam Bibi International Women Institute Bannu (Amendment) Bill, 2023,” introduced by Senator Kamran Murtaza. These Bills were meticulously examined and aligned with the stringent criteria outlined by the Higher Education Commission (HEC). However, the committee identified certain Bills that did not meet the prescribed HEC criteria, and others were rejected due to the absence of their respective proponents. The committee meeting saw the participation of the Senators, including Prof. Dr Mehr Taj Roghani, Mushtaq Ahmed Khan, Fawzia Arshad, Jam Mahtab Hussain Dahar, Engr. Rukhsana Zuberi, Rana Maqbool Ahmad, and Falak Naz. Additionally, Senators Muhammad Akram, Hidayatullah Khan, Naseebullah Bazai, Mohammad Abdul Qadir, Umer Farooq, Fida Muhammad, and Rana Mahmood Ul Hassan attended as Bill Movers. The Chairman of HEC and senior officials from the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training were also in attendance.